How many rocks did Gary Dahl sell?
Over 1 million, at $4 each!
$4M in 1975 is the equivalent of $21M in 2022.
And while this is just one of many examples, it clearly shows that marketing can sell a bad product.
That being said, I don't recommend doing this.
In fact, creating a great product should be your number one priority!
However, that's not what most businesses struggle with. A lot of great products never see the light of day.
Because marketing is vital.
Unfortunately, most people don't approach marketing the right way. If their 'marketing' would take shape in the real world, it would be a cold lifeless creature.
A diluted representation of what true marketing should be.
The day you stop caring about the people you interact with…
When strategies and tactics are more important than building relationships…
That's when marketing dies.
Because marketing is about people. It's about creating value for a specific segment of the market.
If value is not created, nothing else matters.
You could say Gary Dahl and his "Pet Rocks" fad didn't use value-based marketing.
But that's not true.
Entertainment is one of the most valuable things in the world.
That's why so many actors, athletes and singers are able to build entire fortunes.
And Dahl's campaign was definitely entertaining.
The rock itself didn't have any value, but the fact that it was advertised as a pet, and it came along with "The Care and Training of Your Pet Rock" manual, made it special.
It was hilarious, new, and bizarre.
And it offered plenty of entertainment for its $4 price mark.
In Dahl's words, it was the type of pet that "You don't have to feed, take for walks—and you can leave it for months and it's fine when you get back."
It was also one of those products that people could identify with. A "Pet Rock" owner is someone who's futuristic, bold, and confident.
It's an identity validation tool if you will.
And this is extremely important in marketing. If your product validates your ideal customer's identity, you'll sell it a lot faster and easier!
So how is this story going to help you?
Well, it will hopefully change your perspective of marketing.
And it will help you understand that value can take different forms, depending on what you're trying to sell.
Think out of the box, but always start with this question – "How is this valuable to my audience?"
If you can answer that, you'll be successful.
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Do you like this type of story-email?
I'd love to know your thoughts on this.
As always, if you have any questions, reply and I'll get back to you.
Talk again soon,
Angie
General Manager
OptinMonster
